The present invention relates to a liquids container provided with duct means for the ingress of fluids into and egress of fluids from the container, and to drawoff, cleaning and filling heads associated with the container.
In a known container provided with duct means (Enzinger-Nachrichten No. 3, 1974, pages 211 to 214), two conduits are provided appropriate to use for beer, wherein, for example during drawing-off, an inner one of the conduits is connected with a tap cock and the outer one of the conduits with a source of pressure gas.
In the case of drinks which tend to separate out in storage, for example fruit juice drinks, such a duct means has the disadvantage that the drink is inhomogeneously drawn off.
For alcohol-free drinks which similarly tend to separate out, there is disclosed in German (Federal Republic) Utility Models Nos. 66 08 908 and 72 09 306 a container, which, at a head part thereof, has three spaced-apart self-closing conduits, one of which is arranged centrally with respect to the others and is associated with a detachable oval lid. This centrally arranged conduit opens out in a head region of the interior of the container, while the other two conduits, which are disposed opposite to one another at the circumference of the head part of the container, open out through respective pipes in a base region of the container, the pipes being bent towards one another at their lower ends.
During drawing-off of liquid from the container, the centrally arranged duct, which serves for ventilation during filling, is closed. A pressure gas, for example CO.sub.2, is fed through one of the pipes, while the other pipe serves for the drawing-off. The pressure gas bubbles from the base region through the drink up into the head region and thereby effects intermixing of the drink.
The duct means of this known container does not permit fully automatic cleaning and filling of the container. Rather, the detachable lid must be taken off by hand for cleaning and plugged into separate cleaning equipment of the cleaning machine, and the container must be turned and be placed with its lid opening on a cleaning jet head.
On subsequent closure of the container by hand, there exists the danger of contamination of the interior of the container. In addition, the duct means and the detachable lid, inclusive of its closure mechanism, are vulnerable to damage, the conduit pipes being arranged without support from each other and the detachable lid being of light construction.